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Mayochup

A London based food, parenting and travel blog. Follow us on our travels

Situated on the edge of the South Downs national park is Marwell Zoo and is a lovely place to visit. Unlike most zoos where they try to cram in as many animals and enclosures within the space they have been allocated, Marwell is expansive with animal enclosures dotted here and there. This does mean a lot of walking however, there is a mini rail that links one end of the park to the other for those who are less inclined.

Marwell doesn't have the same variety of animals if you compare it to London Zoo; no elephants for example but the ones they do have are well worth visiting. The giraffes in particular are a highlight.

Took a while to get this shot
We also managed to get a photo of the leopard which was difficult to spot. Luckily it came right to the window.

Had to be quick to take this one
Right at the start, or at the end, of the zoo is the penguin enclosure. Marwell put on a public feeding spectacle three times per day on set time schedule and we managed to catch the last performance.

Penguin feeding time
Adults are £20 per person and children between 3-16 are £16 per person which I find a little steep. A 3yr old and a 16yr old are going to take very different things from the experience. I would feel a bit ripped off if I had to fork out £16 for a 3yr old but as Tamara is only 5 months, she was free. Just as well as she slept through most of it! As for her experience, she loved the trees and was not too fussed about the animals but perhaps that will change as she gets older.

Marwell Wildlife
Thompsons Lane
Winchester
Hampshire
SO21 1JH
https://www.marwell.org.uk/zoo/

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Our little one is full of surprises and sees the funny side of doing a naughty deed!


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Out of the blue, my brother-in-law proposed to his long term girlfriend and to celebrate, we were invited to a pub outing and dinner at The White Horse in Harpenden.

The pub is situated on the edge of Harpenden next to idyllic houses and greens and fits in nicely in the area. The garden area is extensive and well looked after. The inside blends modern with rustic giving it a homely feel so it suits all seasons. As it was a warm evening with a bright blue sky, we opted to eat outside.

So after the chinking of the champagne glasses filled with prosecco, it was time to order dinner. The weather put paid to the availability of the menu, not because it was spoiled, but due to the pub being extremely busy over that weekend.

We both opted for the pork roast with crackling and all the trimmings. As you can see, the portion size is good and you definitely get your moneys worth.

Pork Roast with all the trimmings
My mother-in-law is a little fussy when it comes to ordering restaurant food and not all that keen on English/European food so she had Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables which isn't on the menu but the The White Horse was more than willing and capable to tailor a dish to her needs. 

Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables
Even though we managed to polish off our mains and feeling quite full, there is always room for pudding and we were enticed by the Rhubarb and Almond Pie which was amazing. The almond pie was warm and soft which complemented well with the strips of rhubarb and the dollop of clotted cream.

Almond and Rhubarb pie with clotted cream
This pub is recommended if you're in the area and is a nice place for large groups to come together. 

The White Horse
Redbourn Lane
Hatching Green
Harpenden
Hertfordshire
AL5 2JP
https://www.thewhitehorseharpenden.co.uk/



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Bournemouth is a 1.5 hour drive away so when the sun’s out, we can pop down and we did just that. However, when we got there, and this was upon arrival at Bournemouth, it was foggy. No matter though as there are still plenty of things to do other than the beach.

A foggy start

Beaches are empty due to the weather
Being a typical British seaside resort, there’s plenty of amusement arcades, snack shops, restaurants, tourist shops and other places to visit. There’s even a sea life centre should the weather make a turn for the worse. Luckily for us, the fog lifted and we were treated to wonderful views of the English coastline. Baby Tamara loved it and got to touch sand for the first time and was captivated by the sea. However, the sound of the waves lapping the shoreline soon put her to sleep!

Luckily the weather improved

Views of the sea
There are plenty of places to eat but our tip is to walk a little further down the promenade to find ones that are more reasonably priced as the restaurants by the pier (the main entrance) tend to be quite expensive and lacking in quality. Harry Ramsdens being the major culprit. All batter, hardly any fish. So after a 15 minute walk, we found a lovely little place called Chine Side. This place offered seating upstairs on the balcony which is perfect for those sea views and people watching. Being by the sea, we couldn’t resist Fish & Chips and Salmon Fishcakes & Chips. We were pleasantly surprised with the healthy portions too. It's a shame there was no mushy peas but can't have everything.

Fish and Chips

Salmon Fishcakes and Chips

We returned home just before the stag and hen groups would come out to play which is the right time. Also beating the traffic on the way back. This resort is definitely worth the trip and a great place to relax.

Chine Side
Durley Chine Road
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH2 5JG
01202 438288
http://www.chineside.co.uk/


Chine Side Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Somehow, for reasons that are still unexplained, we won tickets for Cafe de Paris so on a Friday night, we went. Once we were there, unbeknown to us, we were actually entitled the VIP package which allowed us the three courses, a bottle of Prosecco and two free drinks. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, Mrs Mayochup was pregnant at the time therefore could not drink anything alcoholic so the whole bottle of Prosecco and free Kir Royale was mine. Be rude not to waste it.

Ruby and performing guests

Another picture of the performers
We previously posted about Cafe de Paris and we were pleased to see that Ruby was still the MC who is still at his flamboyant best terrorising the gentlemen who he took a shine to. The acts were truly amazing and it’s hard to comprehend that us human beings can perform like that whether it being balancing on one hand on a raised platform to performing acts with fire. Over the course of the evening, it must have been the first time in its history that there were no hen parties but of course there were other celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.

For starters, we went for the smoked chicken and papaya on blini. This comes with beetroot & shallot dressing and sweet potato confetti. The other starter was the cured salmon carpaccio with palm hearts, caper berry and rock salt. The salmon is no different to what you have in hundreds of other restaurants, light and refreshing but the smoked chicken and papaya was amazing. Surprisingly light and full of flavour.

Smoked chicken and papaya on blini

Cured salmon carpaccio with palm hearts, caper berry and rock salt

Between meals, we were treated to a magician plying her trade with card tricks and misdirection.  One guy on our table thought he had it worked out but the magician had him sussed and got nowhere. We forget her name but she was at the Edinburgh Film Festival, not that narrows it down much.

Magician with her really bright red hair
For the mains, we got the prime rib-eye steak with hand cooked chips and garlic butter. The other was grilled chicken breast which comes with courgettes, potato fondant, girolle mushrooms and parsley. Both were well cooked and well received.  Especially as one of us was drinking a lot and needed to soak up the booze!

Grilled chicken breast, courgettes, potato fondant, girolle mushrooms and parsley

Rib-eye steak with hand cooked chips and garlic butter

We thought we were only eligible for two courses so to have dessert was a bonus. We opted for fresh fruit salad and warm chocolate brownie.

Fresh fruit salad

Warm chocolate brownie

We do recommend coming here even if it's not just for the food. The entertainment is fantastic and worth the entry fee alone.

Cafe de Paris
3 Coventry Street
London
W1D 6BL
http://www.cafedeparis.com/

Cafe De Paris Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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When we were looking in Mothercare and related stores for prams, clothes and cots, we we blown away by the prices they charge for such items. For example, a very helpful sales assistant was showing us a pram which can be adjusted to cover ages from newborn to toddler and it did look very handy indeed. However, and this is a biggie, the price they were charging was around £700. This wasn’t a top of the range model nor was it the cheapest one but £700 is totally ridiculous. We needed a pram and the solution came from Shpock. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically a free ads app where people buy and sell all manner of things and you can filter results by product, category and distance. We got a barely used Mamas & Papas interchangeable pram for £85 which brand new would be ten times the price. This also came with a car seat.

Our pram we got for £85
As for clothes, we are in a fortunate position to receive so many hand me downs that we are covered until Tamara is a year old. Not to mention all the gifts too. There is little point in buying designer clothes for babies and toddlers as they will be messed up in no time at all nor will they appreciate a ‘label’ on them. In fact, designer clothes as a whole is the easiest way to throw away your money as you are paying for the advertising and the brand rather than the quality of the clothing. Asda’s George, TX Maxx and Primani are just as good.

Baby clothes are so tiny!
For every day items, nappies are cheapest on amazon and use kitchen roll to put under the baby instead of the disposable baby mats. You get far more sheets of kitchen roll and it's cheaper too. Much cheaper. Use cotton wool to clean the baby and use non-branded sterilising tablets. They're mere pence in the supermarkets.

We do have a few toys and teddy bears but she’s too young for them at the moment. What seems to be the best source of entertainment is the full length mirror. She loves looking at that and reacting and going for walks around the house and outside.

You don't need to spend a lot and if you shop around, you can be very economical. Babies needn't be expensive. 
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On our way to the Good Home Show at Olympia, we stopped off at Chiswick to Crepe Affaire and got some brunch.

The first thing that struck me was that minimal expense was spared in the decor. The flooring was just concrete, the same if you were to rip up your flooring or pull up the carpet. Still, I think it's the trendy "shabby chic" look they are going for.

The bar and prep area
All the staff donned t-shirts with "my name is..." and on further investigation it was due to the manager not ordering their name badges. Personally, I don't think name badges are necessary, the only other places you see them are self-help groups and primary school. If there was to be a complaint, it's extremely rare that you'll remember the persons name anyway.

We ordered the crepes and having had the crepes on the continent before, we expected something light and airy. How wrong were we?

Once they arrived, they were enormous! We knew straight away we could not finish them and so it proved. In the end, we got bored of eating them as they were all the same flavour. Crepe Affaire does have an orange presser were you can order freshly squeezed orange. Perfect.

All Day Breakfast crepe

Eggs Benedict 
If you do end up going here, please ensure you don't eat anything beforehand as the portion sizes are so huge. Crepe Affaire can afford to decrease their size and their customers won't be unhappy. Having said that, I wonder how much food is going to waste every day?

Score: 6/10

Crepe Affaire
382 Chiswick High Road
Chiswick
London
W4 5TF
http://www.crepeaffaire.com/

Crepeaffaire Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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We predict 2018 will foresee a sharp decline in the amount of restaurants we will visit as, in February, we will have a baby girl.


So to compensate, we will expand the blog to parenting as we are entering this world for the first time. Please join us on our journey and we look forward to posting in the new year.

Happy New Year to you all!
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Back in September we took a long weekend to Asturias, the northern most county in Spain and based ourselves in Gijon using Airbnb. This was by far the cheapest option as the hotels were at least double.

Packed into the four days, we also visited Oviedo, Cangas de Onis and Ribadesella. Transport links are excellent and very good value for money so there is really no need to hire a car.

Gijon is a small seaside town full of little boutique shops and breathtaking views out from the beachfront. The pace of life is very slow and you will definitely feel relaxed.


Gijon square

Another angle of Gijon square

The Gijon beach with great views

What you will notice is the siesta time where the whole town will shut down for a couple of hours in the afternoon and re-open in the evening apart from a couple of bars and/or restaurants. So you will need to plan shopping around this. 

The next day we went to Oviedo which is just like any other major city. It has the usual array of shops and layout. Altogether, it was nothing spectacular apart from the architecture and the Cathedral.

Oviedo architecture

Streets of Oviedo

Oviedo Cathedral
Day three we went to Ribadesella which is a small town on the Asturas shoreline and it's a very pretty town indeed. It's very nice to take a leisurely walk through and take in the sights. We also visited a cave however, we were not allowed to take photographs so we can't show you them on here. Shame really. 

There's plenty of places to eat but don't go for this one!
This restaurant, Casa Gaspar, offers sub standard greasy food and to top it off, we had a very stroppy waitor who clearly wanted us to leave as we were approaching siesta time.

Coloured stairs found in Ribadesella

The sleepy town of Ribadesella

For the last day, we went to the Asturias National Park. Be advised, set off in good time as it takes three hours to get there from Gijon but it's worth it just for the views alone. We took a gentle walk clicking pictures along the way. 

Views from our walk

A lake in the valleys offered a welcome break

For a cheap, relaxing break I would recommend going to Asturias. The Spanish are very welcoming and will speak English to you if you get stuck although it is always nice to try speaking Spanish and making an effort. In terms of finance, you don't need to take a lot as everything is fairly cheap and the food is great (apart from that one in Ribadesella). What Asturias does pride itself on is their Cider which is unsweetened and slightly flat. We did try it and it is very strong but the flavour is quite bitter.

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After watching Ferdinand in the cinema, we hunted around Westfields in London and stumbled on Penang which serves Malaysian and Thai food. Considering this is our favourite food types, we went in.

We were asked to sit near the window to make the restaurant appear busy and immediately found a wonky chair. So that was swapped and we sat down and perused the menu.

For starters, we went for seafood dumplings and when they arrived, they looked very appealing however, they were a bit too greasy.

Seafood dumplings
For the mains, we ordered the Claypot Chicken and the Seafood Laksa. The chicken in the Claypot Chicken was a bit rubbery but it was OK on the whole. Nothing special.

Claypot chicken
The Seafood Laksa was on a whole new level. I have sampled many many Thai and Malaysian dishes and this one wins on all fronts as it was the worst Seafood Laksa I ever had the pleasure of sampling. For one, it came with a mightily generous two prawns and some random unrecognisable 'seafood' items that you had no idea what they were. To top it off, it came with a sickeningly layer of grease which looks very unappealing and tasted as such too. It was so bad that it was sent back and removed from the bill.

Seafood Laksa

The grease on top of the Seafood Laksa
It's not often we leave a restaurant hungry but on this occasion we shall eat at home.

Score: 0/10

Penang!
White City
Unit 1032
Southern Terrace
Westfield White City
London
W12 7GA

Penang! Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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We devoted a whole day to go round The Colosseum, which is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, and the nearby Palatine Hill which has been around for nearly 2000 years. The Colosseum took 8 years to build, started in 72AD under emperor Vespasian and finished off under Titus. Amendments were made under Domitian but we can safely say it was opened for the public in 80AD.

Outside the Colosseum
Close up of the Colosseum walls
To skip the enormous queues, we decided to join a guide who offered fascinating insights in what happened in The Colosseum at the time which we would not have gained if we went round on our own. The guide group also used the fast track queue system so the day was not entirely wasted.

Once inside The Colosseum, you'll be amazed by its size which at the time, could hold 50,000 people. That's 50,000 people watching barbaric gladiatorial activities which would not be accepted now in our society. How times change huh?

Part of the flooring had to be reconstructed to accommodate tourism but you can see that it has a lower ground where they kept the slaves, gladiators and animals for forthcoming entertainment.

Part of the lower ground revealed
After the tour of The Colosseum, we then proceeded to Palatine Hill which is one of the seven hills Rome was built on. Our guide explained that the reason for the seven hills was that the lower ground was too swampy to build on however, in time, the Romans drained and expanded. The Palatine Hill is the only one preserved and is now a major tourist spot. As you can see, not a lot is fully preserved due to earthquakes and general erosion however, what remains is magnificent.

View from Palatine Hill
An old copper door which has turned green through time
Some of the columns have remained
The tour took around 3-4 hours and it did not feel rushed. The guide was good and told you all you needed to know although she did get annoyed at one American who was filming her. Quite right too. You don't need to pre-book as once you get there you are inundated with tour offers as well as sellers offering selfie sticks and useless toys.

This definitely should be on your 'to-do' list when in Rome.
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